Chapter 2: Free Time-Event with your Future-self
"Ugh… this day is such a mess…" Jin could only sigh in exasperation, rubbing his temples. "And I thought I had seen everything…"
"I feel you, buddy…" Koichi sighed alongside him. "I think it's time I stop with alcohol for a while after this."
"That would be about time. Though I think everyone is going to need some time-out after this."
"You know a good detox center nearby?"
"I'll look it up as soon as this whole mess is over."
"I think I know an address, but unfortunately, it's pretty far away."
The new voice made the two adults groan, with Jin speaking their minds. "I'm sorry if I sound offensive, but I'm afraid you're not making this situation easier, Naegi-san… crap, it just hurts my head so much just saying that."
"Hehehe, sorry for making you feel like this, sir," the adult version of Makoto Naegi, yes, this was real, chuckled at them. "To be fair, I didn't really anticipate this kind of event. Going back to the past like this…"
"You're still getting your kicks with it," Koichi accused with an eyebrow, but with no aggression in his voice. "Seriously, kid, everyone can see you're enjoying this."
"Well, you're not wrong. I mean, I couldn't resist the occasion," the young adult smiled at them, before turning towards his past self and friends. "So, how are you guys holding up?"
"Hmmm… as expected, I think?" Makoto spoke with an incredulous look. It was only an hour since the incident, and nobody could still get their heads around what happened. Somehow, their friend managed to build a freaking time machine of all things, and whatever happened during the experiment brought this man, this aged-up version of their friend/crush manifested in front of them. And this version seemed to be more confident than his past counterpart, if the way he talks calmly to them is anything to go by. Even Makoto himself was having trouble with the situation, asking himself if whatever happened in Miu's lab didn't make them hallucinate.
The young adult chuckled a bit, before feeling someone tug his arm. He saw the hand belonged to Jataro, who was looking at him with curiosity. "Are you really Mako-nii? You seem so different, and yet you look like him a lot."
The adult form of Makoto smiled at him, and ruffled his hair in a gentle way. "Yup. It's me, Jataro-otôto. I've grown up quite a bit, as you can see. You could say that I'm your 'bigger' big brother."
"Mako-nii…" Jataro smiled while blushing, liking the feeling of his 'bigger' big brother rubbing his hair.
That made the other kids advance towards him, curiosity in their eyes. "Wow… I can't believe it's you! You look so much cool with the uniform!" Masaru said excitedly.
"Yeah! And the haircut too! It looks so good on you!" Kotoko marveled with stars in her eyes. "We've got to try with our big brother!"
"Well, I'm glad you like it." Makoto giggled to them. "It's good to see you kids. I mean, I see you every day of my life from when I come from, but I would have never thought I would see you like this."
"Every day? So… we are close?" Nagisa said surprised, before smiling with a blush. "I mean… I'm glad."
"Of course we are! Mako-nii is still Mako-nii, no matter what ages he has!" Monaca said with a smile. "Isn't it right, Mako-nii?"
"Family is sacred, Monaca-imôto. And I don't leave any of my family behind." Adult Makoto took her gently by the armpits and smiled at her. "I can't believe I'm holding you like this again. It's been so long…"
Monaca giggled while the others joined them, wanting to share a moment with their 'bigger' big brother. Meanwhile, Makoto calmed down significantly, seeing the… aged up version of himself laughing with the kids easing his nerves. It reassured him greatly to know that, if this guy was indeed who he said he was… then he took care of the children with all of his heart. That made him think that this Makoto, while a bit different in personality, was still the caring person he thought of himself.
The girls behind him also shared similar thoughts. They were still processing the information, but seeing him taking care of the children certainly helped manage their nerves. Besides, this aged-up Makoto seemed to be not only the caring man they loved, but seemed to be more confident… and seemed to have even more experience with kids.
Needless to say, the girls all had blushes on their faces, and the common thought they shared was 'Daddy material'.
…and they had no idea what they were in for.
Kyouko coughed awkwardly to get his attention. "Alright, let us suppose that you are who you say you are. At this point, there is no other way to explain… this situation."
"Yeah, I get you. Like I said, I didn't expect things to go this way at all. It's just as crazy as my memories of this place," the adult version of Makoto chuckled yet again. "I did warn you that it was a real bomb I was about to drop."
"W-well, you could have worked around it! Seriously, the way you behaved was too suspicious!" Mahiru scolded him with a little blush. "And what's with that anyway? You knew we would freak out, but you decide to roll with it? Our Naegi-kun isn't like that!"
"For once, I agree with her, this is really unlike him," Natsumi chimed in, her eyes narrowed down. "Honestly, you really boosted your confidence. A bit too much, if you ask me. You enjoy messing with us right now, don't you?"
"I know, I know, I couldn't resist," the young adult answered with a smile. "Besides, without those results, would you have believed? Even with all the things that that happened in the school, I'm pretty sure you would have called me nuts."
"Well, you're not wrong…" Kaede laughed awkwardly. "I still can't believe what happened. To think Iruma-san built a… time machine of all things…"
"I know, right? I still can't believe it myself!" Miu laughed her ass off. "I really did made history this time! AH! My own genius scares me sometimes!"
The adult Makoto couldn't help but smile this time. "Well, you sure did, Iruma-san. You sure did."
The girls narrowed their eyes to Miu again. Somehow, not only she managed to build something incredible, but it also got Makoto's favors. Well, future Makoto more specifically, but it was close enough.
"Well, how would you like us to call you, then?" Miaya asked via Usami. "Calling you both Naegi-kun would be confusing."
"Yeah, good point." The adult Makoto said… before a little smile appeared on his face. "Tell you what, I have an idea. You all can call me Naegi-san if you want. Meanwhile, you can call him Naegi-kun. Heck, even the first name basis would be fine considering you're close to him."
"Hmmm…" Makoto and the others seemed a bit hesitant at this. "I mean, you're not wrong, but… it does sound a bit… forward…"
"I wouldn't mind." Mukuro spoke casually. "I agree with what your future-self said… Makoto-kun."
"Yeah! Ibuki already calls you Makoto-chan all the time, so it's no problem!" Ibuki chimed in happily.
"Atua and Angie wouldn't mind either, Makoto-kun!" Angie said while tilting her head at both sides.
Chisa, while she was glad to hear her future self not minding being on first name basis with the girls, knew that she had a job to do. "Okay, students, let's calm down a bit. I do agree with the first proposition, but as first name basis…" She had to work extra hard to hide her blush. "I-I think we should just… talk about it among ourselves."
"Yeah, that's fair." Adult Makoto chuckled, as he looked around. "So… does anyone think they can handle talking about what happened to me? I assume that all of us have questions, but fair warning, you might drop on the floor again."
Everyone looked at him with disbelieving looks. Now their curiosity was peaking. What happened to him in the future? What happened to them as a whole?
"…I think it would be wise to listen to it tomorrow." Maki spoke first, frowning her eyes. "I don't think anyone is ready to hear what you have in store for us. I don't know what happened, but you clearly became more confident to pull a stunt like this. Honestly, you look like Ouma, and not in a good way."
"Yes, I can see why you would think that." Adult Makoto chuckled at her. "Sorry if I made you panic, but again, I couldn't resist. And I agree, it would be wise to do that."
"Nyeh… a shame, I really have questions about my future self." Himiko spoke with disappointment, but agreed with his reasoning.
"All of us do… I think." Chiaki spoke next with a little smile. "And it's evening anyway. I think we need to rest in order to think about what happened."
"Hmm. Wise decision." Kirumi spoke next. "Diner will be ready soon. Will you join us?"
"Sure, I don't mind." Adult Makoto smiled at them. "Let me help with the dishes. It's been so long since I've worked on the kitchen there."
"I do not see any reason to refuse." Kirumi bowed respectfully, hiding her small blush.
Chisa then clapped her hands together again. "Well, everyone, I believe we've had enough discoveries for today! After diner, I propose everyone rest for today! Especially if… if Naegi-san here has other interesting news to share with us!" She said the adult form
Seeing everyone nod, Jin spoke next, seemingly exhausted beyond his limit. "And while you guys do that, I'll be resting. It's going to take a while to… calm down this migraine of mine." He then got up with his friend. "Do you mind sharing a bottle?"
"Sure, why not? Looks like we will need it anyway." Koichi told him as they both exited the room, leaving the girls to prepare diner together.
As adult Makoto helped the girls, Junko managed to isolate him from the others. Her curiosity was exploding inside, and she just couldn't wait to mil him for information about the future, and more specifically, about her future with her Hope. So, with a grin on her face, she approached him, and said in a playful yet discreet voice, "So, how does it feel to get back here? I bet it must feel nostalgic for you."
"Got me there. Never in my life I would have thought I would be back there like this." The young adult chuckled. "I guess my luck has been following me around. My life was always a bit crazy now that I think of it, but without a doubt, it got crazier from that point."
"Yeah, I get you. And… I did have a hand in this," Junko faltered a bit at this, but soon felt a hand on her shoulder. She wasn't surprised to see it was the adult form of her Hope smiling down at her.
"It's true, you did bad things in the past. But I remember you worked hard to make amend. You even helped all of us when we needed it the most." He spoke with a soft smile. "You'll see that one day, your efforts will pay off. Trust me."
Junko couldn't help the sincere smile as she blushed and nodded. "Thanks. I…I know I just sounded silly. I don't know what came over me to say that."
"It happens, don't worry. There's no shame about admitting your flaws." The man spoke with the same smile. "I know my younger self would say the same thing."
"Yeah, he definitely would." She chuckled a bit at him. "Guess you haven't changed too much from our friend there. I'm sure our future selves must be lucky to have you has a friend." Curiosity coming back with a vengeance, she then asked, "Say… you are still close to us in the future, right?"
To this, Makoto chuckled in the same playful way he did before. "Well, I wouldn't worry that much if I were you. We were very close friends back then after all."
Junko slowly widened her eyes in shocked recognition. The tone he spoke with and the playful smirk on his face… it could only mean one thing.
"Don't worry, I won't say anything. I'll even let you talk to the girls about it. Fair warning though: don't overthink this, you won't handle it, especially not after tomorrow." He then winked at her and left to aid Kirumi.
"What were you talking about, Junko-chan?" Mukuro went by her side, before noticing her sister trembling. "J-Junko-chan? What's wrong?"
The younger sister only turned towards her with what would seem a scared expression. "We need to talk to the other girls. Right after dinner. Tell everyone. Now!"
It didn't take long for diner to be finished, and everyone decided to return to their room. For tonight, the female guests, as well as Kotoko and Monaca, were invited custody of Chisa. On top of that, in order to welcome their… new guest, they needed for one of them to let him stay in their room. And the choice of the one who would share their room was obvious.
"Wow… it's been ages since I came back here." Adult Makoto wondered with a smile as he looked at his past self's room with a smile, along with his past-self and the boys from the Warriors of hope, who were in their pajamas. "Back at Hope's Peak Academy, where it all started. It sure fills me with nostalgia to be there…"
"Nostalgia?" Jataro asked with curiosity. "What does it mean? Is it… something you like?"
"It is a feeling of affection you have for something you liked in the past," the adult explained with a smile. "And since for me, this room isn't mine anymore…"
"But it is! W-well, it is for Mako-nii, and you are also him…" Masaru debated, his head in his hands. "Ugh, this is so confusing!"
"I think we should call you Naegi-san, sir," Nagisa reasoned. "We don't want more confusion."
"Good point." Adult Makoto chuckled as he ruffled all of the kids' hair, making them laugh lightly. "This is so crazy…"
"Yeah…" Present Makoto said with a sweat drop. "I mean, I would have never thought I would meet my future self, and I've seen pretty crazy stuff ever since I stepped foot here."
"Yeah, so I recall. And to think all of this happened because of my name…" The young adult chuckled. "Though after everything I gained from this, I'm certainly not complaining."
"Really?" The student looked at him with curiosity now. "What happened in the future? Is it that good?"
To this, the adult only laughed. "Sorry, but if I told you now, it wouldn't be a surprise. That, and I don't think you would drink it in. Seriously, you and your friends aren't ready for this revelation."
"Aawww, come on!" Masaru complained. "I want to know what happened in the future!"
"I-is there any flying car in the future?" Jataro asked. "A-and do we know more about ghosts?"
"Guys, now isn't the time for those questions, and especially not that type," Nagisa reasoned. "…although I am very curious too."
"Don't worry I'll answer them in due time, once everything is sorted out", Adult Makoto chuckled. "Though, I can answer some simple questions, as long as it doesn't reveal too much."
"O-kay…" Present Makoto raised an eyebrow at this vague answer. "Well, what can you tell me that wouldn't surprise me then?"
The young adult thought about it for a moment before answering as he sat next to him. "Well, for starters, I'm good financially speaking. After graduation, I managed to get a more than decent life."
"Really?" Makoto asked. "What, do you work for a big company or something?"
"You could say that, although 'company' and 'working for' isn't exactly accurate," Adult Makoto answered. "Instead… yeah, I think founding my own company would be more accurate."
"Really?! That's pretty amazing!" Present Makoto looked impressed.
"Yeah!" Masaru and the others cheered. "Of course you would do it! You're the Legendary Hero after all!"
"Thanks, everyone. To be honest, I didn't think I would be able to do it, but I had a lot of people to support me." The adult spoke with a smile. "To be honest, this is very similar to Kirigiri-san's proposal to become Headmaster."
"Similar? Wait… you're not? You mean this job isn't something you did after, this is what you do now?" Makoto looked at him surprised, the sense of words finally catching up to him. "But why? Did something happen? I know I promised everyone I would see it through…"
"Yes, you're not someone who break a promise like this." Nagisa commented. "So something must have happened."
"Y-yeah…" Jataro also seemed chocked. "D-did you feel bad about it?"
"I did, yes. I can't give you all the details now, but long story short, something happened, and I needed to take care of my family." The young adult explained. "Don't worry, nothing bad happened to them, and it wasn't anything illegal, but I still needed to be there for them."
"…I see…" The student looked down. "I just… wanted to really help the school, you know? So to hear an accident prevented me to do so…"
"For what it's worth, me and my family ended up helping the school after this." The adult smiled at him. "And you'll be happy to hear that the one who was chosen is doing a wonderful job taking care of the school. Heck, it's recognized in different countries now."
"Oh? Well… I'm glad everything managed to work out in the end…" Makoto sighed of relief, before asking, "Can you tell me who is it?"
"Sorry, but this will have to wait for tomorrow." The man answered with a smile. "Since he is in the school, I thought it would be fair to let him know."
"Really? Wow… well, I guess I can wait." Makoto smiled too, knowing that one of his friends managed to do a good job in the future. He didn't know who it was, but once he would hear the name, he would make his best to support them. Then, he turned back to his future counterpart. "So, what about my family then? Are they okay?"
"Yeah, they are fine." The young adult answered with a smile. "I can't tell you much either, but what I can reveal is that, due to the incident I will talk about tomorrow, we had to move out after graduation. Again, it was nothing bad, but in order for me to do my job, it needed to be done."
"Is that so?" Makoto asked surprised. "Must have awkward to move out to somewhere you didn't know, and far from the others too."
"It was, but fortunately, we managed to adapt. And we still see everyone, don't worry." The adult chuckled. "As for Komaru, she is doing fine. She's actually working as a manga teacher for kids and teenagers now."
"Wait, really?!" Makoto looked surprised, in a good way. "So she managed to reach her dream… I'm glad."
"Woah… Komaru-nee as a manga artist…" Jataro had stars in his eyes. "She must be pretty good with it now!"
"Yup, she did. She had some help from our friend at school, but I can tell you, she is happy right now." The adult smiled too. "Basically, you could say she went into her own Ultimate Talent Development Plan. And let me tell you, I'm happy and proud that she managed to find her way."
"Me too…" The student smiled gratefully before asking, "Can you tell me if she has a big hit?"
"If you're asking me if she did a work that sell well, then yes, she did. It even has you – or rather, us – in the main story." The adult answered. "Though I can't say more without spoiling anything else. But knowing our luck, we'll be able to make her come here so she can tell you more."
"Okay… well, I'm honestly honored I'm in her work… though, I hope she's not mocking me or anything…" The student laughed awkwardly. "Okay, so… about Otoo-san and Okaa-san? Did they have any trouble with their jobs or anything? You did say you had to move out for your job…"
"Well, they are doing well, for starters. They have no ill problems or anything, and neither does Komaru, by the way," the adult started. "As for their jobs, they did have to adapt as well, but don't worry, they got much better after the relocation. They are even respected a lot by their acquaintances."
"Really? Well, that's good." Present Makoto smiled again. "I wouldn't want anyone to hate them or anything."
"I wouldn't worry that much if I were you." Adult Makoto chuckled. "Oh, and they have two dogs to keep them company. Granted, I and Komaru do visit very often, but we wanted them to have same company of their own. Their house needed some life, and our jobs earned more than enough money for it."
"So cool!" Masaru smirked. "Dogs are the coolest anyway!"
"Every animal is important." Nagisa added. "I'm really curious about what breed they choose."
"Okay, so that's good." Makoto nodded. "What about Ojii-san and Obaa-san? Are they okay?"
There, the young adult hesitated a bit, before sighing. "Well… I'm sorry to say this, but… they passed away two years ago."
That made the young boy and the kids gasp in shock. "W… what? Is it true?"
"Unfortunately, it is. It looked like the time had come to them." Adult Makoto put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, they only died of old age. The best way anyone can ask for."
For a while, Present Makoto doesn't say anything. He doesn't cry, but the feeling of sadness is definitely growing in his chest, hearing that a family member died was always something shocking. Then, he quietly asked, "…did they leave a happy life at least?"
"They did. I can assure you, they were showered in love and care until the very end." The adult spoke with a fond smile. "And everyone was at the funeral. The family, of course, but also our friends from school. Mostly from the girls' dorm, and even some from the boys', but also our friend from the Reserve Course, and even a few outside. They really liked them, you know."
"…wow, is that true?" The student couldn't help but shred a few tears at this, looking gratefully at his future counterpart. "Thank you… for telling me this, I mean."
"No problem. You deserved to know." The adult smiled back. "Speaking of family, we should probably call them. All of them."
"Yeah, I would like that." Makoto nodded. "Come to think of it… I know you have memories of me during my school days at this point. Do you think I… neglected having some time with my family?"
"…I asked myself that question too when it happened. And let me tell you, you don't need to beat yourself up about it." Adult Makoto reassured him. "You always took care of your family, to take some news about them, and they would also support you. Family is sacred, and nobody in the family would take it for granted. You already understood that, fully and completely. If they were there with me, they would agree."
"He's right, Mako-nii!" Masaru was quick to be by his side with the rest of his friends, trying to cheer him up with a grin. "You've always taken care of people before! That's what you did with us! You saved us, remember?"
"A-and you made sure we grow up with amazing people too, like your family," Jataro followed with a little smile. "Komaru-nee is fun to be around, your papa and mama are suiper nice…"
"And your grandparents are also caring people," Nagisa finished with a smile. "I know you would never do anything to harm any of them, and I believe Naegi-san is right. You don't need to fear this."
"See? Even the kids agree." Adult Makoto chuckled. "So don't worry about it, okay? You've done all you could, and you're going to improve anyway."
That answer made him smile. It was odd to be comforted by your future self, and yet it felt good to hear that from himself. "Thank you, all of you." Present Makoto smiled again. "Although, is it a good idea to let them know once they arrive?"
"Yeah, I think it's a good idea." The adult answered. "They might be shocked when they see me, so make sure they are seated when they arrive, okay?"
"Dully noted." Present Makoto nodded, before yawning a bit. "Sorry, this… this has taken much more of a toll than I thought."
"Don't worry, today was a crazy day. And it is getting late after all." Adult Makoto nodded, before looking at the bed. "So… you're sure you don't mind sharing the bed? I could always take a sleeping bag and sleep on the floor. I would hate to disturb you."
"No, it's fine. I'm not going to make you uncomfortable either," Present Makoto countered with a smile. "You're like a guest, and I don't make guest sleep on the floor."
That got a chuckle out of his future counterpart. "Thank you." Then, he got up and started to undress. "I doubt you have anything for my size. Do you mind if I sleep shirtless?"
"Uh, I don't see why not…" Present Makoto returned the chuckle, before seeing the body he had underneath all of those clothes. And he couldn't help but widen his eyes. "Oh wow… I sure took the training seriously."
"Woah… that's so cool!" Masaru cheered. "You look so badass!"
"Thanks, I kept up after graduation," Adult Makoto chuckled as he hit his torso lightly, which was now slightly bigger than Hajime's. "I do this everyday ever since, and you can say that sometimes, it can get… intense."
"Oh… well, that's good…" The student sweat dropped again at the tone his future counterpart was using. "As long as you don't overwork yourself…"
"Don't worry, I'm careful nowadays." The young adult sat down on his younger counterpart's bed, half-naked, with only his grey boxers remaining.
"Woah… Even the underwear is different," Jataro commented.
"Yes, it's really interesting to see the differences between two versions of the same persons…" Nagisa commented, looing between Present Makoto's white underwear with stars, and Adult's Makoto's grey underwear with yellow lines… but he did notice that the two had some… familiar bulges…
"I thought it looked good on me," Makoto commented, before smiling at his younger counterpart. "Don't worry, I don't judge by underwear."
"I-I wasn't worried about it…" Makoto blushed slightly at the tease, before he started to undress himself. "Okay, kids, let go to bed already. And make sure to make space for each other."
"Yeah!"
"Okay…"
"Of course."
And thus, everyone was positioned. The two Makotos took a pillow each, while the kids were by their side. Masaru was by Adult Makoto's left side, Jataro was by Present Makoto's right side, and Nagisa was between the two.
"Wow, this feels weird to sleep in a bed like this…" Adult Makoto commented with a chuckle. "But it doesn't feel bad."
"If you say so…" Present Makoto commented. "I know I said it before, but today was crazy. Even the girls were completely shocked… I wonder what they must think about the situation…"
"I'm pretty sure they're talking about me and how I behaved today," Adult Makoto smiled again. "I can't blame them. Although we are the same person, I can say for sure that we have some differences, in personalities at least."
"Yeah, I noticed…" Present Makoto answered, before he asked out of curiosity, "But what do you think they must be talking about more specifically? Do you think they want to know what happened to you? Well, me, but you… you get what I mean."
"Yeah, I get you." Adult Makoto answered. "Knowing them… they're probably debating right now. I wouldn't be surprised if they had trouble sleeping."
"Ah?" The student raised an eyebrow at this. "That much?"
There, the adult grinned… and it was uncharacteristically mischievous. "You have no idea."
Meanwhile, back in the kitchen… things were much noisier.
"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Miu's iconic laugh reasoned into the room. "I DID IT! I TRULY MADE HISTORY!"
"Iruma-san, please do not shoot out like this…" Kirumi tried to warn her, to no avail. "Naegi-senpai and the others are surely sleeping at this point."
"Ugh, just leave her be," Hiyoko groaned as she saw her kohai boast. "You know how she is, each time she manages to do something, she has to let the whole world know."
"Of course I have to, this is the greatest day of my life!" Miu argued. "I, Iruma Miu, the girl with the golden brain and golden looks, have made a freaking time machine! No other bastard in the world has ever done that before!"
"Uh, does it count though?" Akane asked with an eyebrow. "You did it, but it was an accident, so…"
"Yeah, you said you wanted to build a machine that makes you travel to places," Aoi added. "But you built something else, so did you really succeed?"
"Of course I did!" Miu sneered at them. "To surpass expectations is the ultimate state of genius! I wouldn't expect dumb bitches to understand!"
"I must admit, this is quite the feat…" Sonia said as she blocked Kotoko's ears. "Although I wish Iruma-kohai wasn't as… enthusiastic as she is now."
"Hehem!"
Junko's cough caught everyone's attention, and when she was sure of it, she spoke seriously. "As crazy as it is already, I'm afraid things are about to take another level."
Mukuro spoke next, very seriously. "Junko-chan said she saw something in… in Naegi-san's behavior."
"Naegi-san?" Seiko asked before she realized what she meant. "Oh, you mean… t-the other Naegi-kun. S-sorry, I'm… still processing that honestly."
"I don't blame you, this is unreal…" Ruruka sighed while tapping her friend on the shoulder. "Seriously, what a mess it is today…"
"It sure was… a rollercoaster of information today." Chisa agreed before looking at Junko. "So, what did you wanted to talk about?"
"Well, obviously, about that… future Naegi-kun we're seeing right now." Junko began to explain. "And… there's no beating around the bush here, he's going to be a problem."
Everyone raised an eyebrow at this, Kaede speaking for them. "What do you mean? I mean, he doesn't look that bad…"
"He doesn't, but he is mischievous to an extent," Kyouko speculated. "We all remembered how he suggested for us to discover his identity… and he obviously knows what's going on in the future."
"Yeah, what you said! Naegi-san is so much different than senpai!" Tenko voiced her opinion with a frown on her face. "That adult behaves a lot like that degenerate Ouma form our class, and Tenko doesn't like it one bit!"
"I admit, this is a bit concerning," Fuwa wondered with a worried face. "Makes me wonder why he behaves like this now."
"We'll worry about it later." Mahiru reassured her friend before looking at Junko. "Well, tell us. What's wrong?"
Junko waited for a minute to let the silence settle in, before speaking seriously. "He knows."
Nobody knew how to react to this, and Natsumi had to ask the obvious. "Uh, he knows about what exactly? Be specific, girl."
"About us. About how we… really appreciate him."
The girls had to think about a bit before they understood, but when they did… well, let's just say that their cheeks have broken a new record of how red they became."
"A-are you sure?" Chiaki was stuttering now. "This – this could mean anything…"
"Yes, I'm sure. The guy said, and I quote, 'we were very close back then after all'. And the tone he used… it was the nearest thing it was of a flirt."
Panic started to ensue, as Sayaka manifested it first. "Hold on, hold on… if he knows then… is he telling Naegi-kun about it right now?!"
"B-but Ibuki wanted her confession to be special!" Ibuki complained as she cried. "Ibuki wanted to do it with a song! How can Makoto-chan do this to Ibuki?!"
"Now now, let's all calm down a bit," Celes tried to reason. "Even if he seems a bit mischievous, I doubt this version of Naegi-kun would have told him anything about us."
"Yeah, Mako-nii isn't a snitch! Whenever he is from the future or not, Mako-nii is Mako-nii!" Kotoko argued with a smile. "Besides, I think you all should happy about it!"
"Uh? A-are you hearing yourself right now?!" Touko was glaring at her. "Do you kids have any idea of what that would imply?!"
"Isn't it obvious? Monaca thought it was," Monaca chimed in with a smile. "It must mean he's chosen one of you girls! Isn't that amazing?"
Every girl widened their eyes in shock and recognition, before Miaya tapped via Usami, "That is… actually more than likely. He did tell us to call our version of Naegi-kun by his first name, and he seemed very happy to see us. This is only a theory, but it stands."
"Nyahahaha! Then this is wonderful!" Angie was already celebrating. "Atua is very pleased to hear this! Perhaps we can ask Makoto-kun who is the closest with!"
A clap of hand was heard, and no one was surprised to see Chisa blushing madly, trying to recompose herself while calming down the situation. "Alright, alright, I think we did enough speculation for this evening! We will… discuss this tomorrow! Y-yeah, just discuss it!"
"Right. This conversation has gotten crazy enough." Maki stood up, gently taking the two little girls by the hands. "Let's go to sleep. You're way past your betime anyway."
"Alright…"
"Okay, big sis!"
"Nyeh… good idea…" Himiko soon followed them. "This is already tiresome enough to deal with… and to think I will need more mana for whatever comes tomorrow."
"This… this is so stressful…" Mikan was very nervous about the situation, before she went to her room as well. "I'm sorry, I just… need some time to think by myself!"
"This will be indeed quite the trial." Sakura said as she and other girls began to leave for their room. "But alas… we cannot run away from them."
"Doesn't make it easier…" Tsumugi laughed awkwardly. "But, hey… it's going to happen anyway, so…"
The only people remaining in the kitchen where the sisters. Mukuro then asked Junko, "Do you have any idea what is going to happen tomorrow?"
"No clue, sis. And to be honest, I'm kind of expecting it to be." Junko nodded with a smile, before thinking, 'How about you, Ryouko-nee?'
'I agree, tomorrow is going to be chaotic,' Ryouko's voice was heard in Junko's head. '…and I feel like this will be even more than we think.'